BROOKLYN (PIX11) — Color, music and Caribbean pride filled the streets of Crown Heights on Saturday as Brooklyn’s youngest revelers took center stage at the Youth Fest and Junior Carnival.
Children marched in elaborate costumes, surrounded by Caribbean music, floats and flags representing islands from across the region. Families followed the celebration toward the Brooklyn Museum, while vendors along the route sold traditional food, clothing and other goods.
“Today is Youth Fest and Junior Carnival, where our youth get to play themselves, wear their costumes, get in touch with their ancestors, understand what this culture’s all about, and express their wonderful artistic side,” said Rhea Smith, vice president of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association.
The event is designed specifically for children and families, with lessons that go beyond the parade. Young people learned about steel pan, music, costume design and the African and Caribbean history behind traditions such as stilt walking.
For many families, the celebration is also a place for children to learn, perform and take pride in their heritage.
“It’s important for her to know who she is, where she came from, the music, the food and the aesthetic,” one mother said of bringing her daughter to the event.
The day also featured a youth concert with singing, dancing, spoken word and poetry. Organizers held back-to-school giveaways, including 4,000 book bags for children.
“They’re in a safe zone, they’re being mentored, they learn how to create their own costumes and the origin of where these costumes come from, and all of the different cultures and histories that go into making costumes,” Smith said.
One young participant said the costumes gave children an opportunity to express themselves through color and feathers.
“We get to express ourselves through colors, feathers, everything like that, it’s so intricate; those feathers take time, and one little thing, they snap and you have to redo the whole outfit,” the participant said.
Security and the NYPD were also on hand, with hundreds of officers helping keep the celebration safe.
But throughout the day, the spotlight remained on the children, building the future of the tradition one costume, one song and one flag at a time.
The Youth Fest and Junior Carnival is part of Brooklyn’s annual West Indian American Day Carnival. The main event, the West Indian Day Parade, takes place Monday, September 7, along Eastern Parkway.
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